Blood, marrow transplants must be kept accessible

1:20 PM,
Mar. 8, 2014

Written by

Dr. Fred LeMaistre

The recent news of veteran TV journalist Tom Brokaw being diagnosed with multiple myeloma sparked interest in this rare form of cancer. Approximately 20,000 people are diagnosed annually with multiple myeloma - cancer of the plasma cells in the body's bone marrow. These abnormal plasma cells don't produce antibodies, so the immune system can't fight off infections.

Like Brokaw, who is 74, the majority of people diagnosed with multiple myeloma - as well as more common blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma - are older than 65. That means that many of these patients depend on Medicare to ...